Card-index.



PATEBVIED DEC. 10

E. BGKART.

GARD INDEX. 'APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8, 1906.

I I I I I IV I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I II I I I I [N VE N TOR ATTORNEYS EDMUND ECKART, OF NEW ItOCHELLE, NEWYORK.

CARD-INDEX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1o, i907.

Application filed February 8. 1906. Serial No. 300.053.

To all whom it may concern:

-Be it known that I, EDMUND ECKART, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of New Rochelle, Westchester county, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Card-Indexes, of Wliiolithe following isa specification.

My invention relates to devices for the convenient recordingand'tabulation of information which are commonly known as card indexes,and has for its object to provide certain improved means, as hereinafterfully described, for permitting a number of index cards to be so storedthat those cards whichcontain a reference to matter of the saine kiiidmay be readily selected from among their neighbors.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a top view of my improved de? vice, with parts broken away; Fig. 2 is'a longitudinal section on line 2-2 of Fig. l; Figs. 3 and 4 are crosssections showing the device in two different positions, and Fig. 5 is aface View of one of the cards employed in connection with my invention.'

The device comprises a suitable holder or box A, which may be in thenature. of a drawer, adapted to lit into a suitable shelf orOther'article of furniture` said receptacle being preferably open atthe. top in its entire length. The sides A of the receptacle form guidesfor thel index cards lwhich are contained in said receptacle, beingloosely inserted therein at the forward portion, and in order toproperly hohl the card-s from falling backward any suitable follower maybe cmiloyed. In Figs. l. and 2 I have shown a follower consisting of aboard C rovided at its vertical edges with springs l in frictionalYengagement with the sides of the receptacle A. The cards B normallyrest by means of tongues B on lifting members or bars D which arelocated at the sides of the receptacle, near the bottom thereof, andwhich' are pivoted as i-iidicated at A3 so that they may be folded downas shown in Fig. 4, or raised as shown in Fig. 3. In order to manipulatethe-'lifting members D, knobs or handles D are provided on them at theforward end of the receptacle.. The normal' position of the liftingmembers is that shown in Fig. 4. ',lhe

cards B are provided at their lower edges with one or more projectionsB2 so that cutcnt portionsB3 appear between'the said proprojectioi'is B2occur adjacent to said tongues. These tongues or projections B which areat the outer edges of the cards are adapted toI be engaged by thelifting inenibers l), so that all the cards may be raised as indicatedin Fig. 3. The projections B and B2 may have rounded corners as shown.The cards will then be flush with each other at their upper edges. Inthe bottom A2 of the receptacle. A I provide a number of longitudinalguides or grooves A4, and in registry with `these grooves the front ofthe receptacle has openings A, and the back of the receptacle, recessesA Into these openings, grooves' and recesses I may introduce a series ofselecting members or selecting bars E, of such a height thattliey willpass freely under thebotltom edges of the, index cards when 'the latterare raised into the position shown in Fig. 3 by the lifting members I).These selecting members are adapted to register with certain of thetongues or projections Ba on the index cards.

'lhe use of the device may be readily understood by reference to anexample. Supposing thatall the index cards in the box oi' drawerrepresented in the drawings contain information concerning merchants inacertain town, andV that it is desired to classify these merchantsaccording to their particular lines of business, somo as clothie-rs,some as shoemakers, others as hardware dealers, and so on. In this caseall the cards which relate to clothiers would have the projection B2 inthe same position, different from the position of thel projections onall the other cards; that is, there would be as many different ositioiisof the projection B2 and as many se ecting bars E as 'it is desired toestablish divisions in the classification. yIf any particular merchantshould handle goods in several divisions of the classification, the cardon which this nierchants name and other information would be enteredwouldliave two, three or more projections B2 adapted to be engaged by' acm'responding number of selecting bars E.

The selecting bars E might normally be removed from the receptacle, `andI prefer this; or they might all be inserted, in which .case the.lifting members D would normally be turned up, and the raised positionof tlu` cards shown in Fig. 3- would be their noi-inail position. rlhisis open to the `objection that the drawer would require a higher spacein 'the shelf or other article of furniture, and for l raise all thecards; if the receptacle A is a drawer it would of course first b'epulled out from the article of furniture into which' it slides. Thecards being thus raised, one or more of the selecting bars E would beinserted through the proper openings A5 in the front of the receptacle.Suitable indications might be provided near these openings to indicatethe particular division corresponding thereto.' Thus, if the firstopening at the left corresponds to clothiers and it is desired to selectthose vcards containing information concerning elothier's, one of thebars E would be inserted through the first opening at the left and slidback all the way, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The follower C shouldof course terminate at a distance from the bottom A2 so as to leave asuflicient clearance for the movement of the lifting bars D and of theselecting bars E. The selecting bar having thus been inserted, the

lifting bars D would be turned down as shown in Fig. 4, and then all thecards would drop a's the lifting bars are swung down except those cardsin which the position of the projection B would correspond to theselecting bar previously inserted. Such cards would be raised abovetheir neighbors, and would thus be readily picked out from among them.In case it was desired to select several divisions at the same time,as,`for instance, clOthierS, haberdashers and shoedealers', thecorresponding number of selecting bars, say three bars, lwould beinserted as indicated in Fig. 3, and upon the lowering of the liftingbars D all the cards belonging to these three divisions would be left ina raised position so'as to be readily separated from their neighbors.The sides of the receptacle guide the cards -in their upv and downmoyement. Fig..4 shows that when only one of the selecting bars E isinserted the cards selected by it will have atendency to lean over toone side, and for this purpose the sides A of the receptacle may beinclined to diverge upward y as shown.

It will of course be understood that an index card receptaclefsuch asabove described, may be used in the ordinary wa when it is not desiredto take advantage o' the'selective features which constitute myinvention. Furthermore, tab or ordinarj," index cards may be used in thesame receptacle together with cards of the kind herein described. Suchtab or ordinary index cards would have tongues such as B at the lowercorners, with a continuous cut-out portion B between them, that is,without any projection B2.

In bringing the cards tothe lower position (Fig. 4) it may be advisableto jar the box so that the cards will descend more readily.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the nature ofmy invention, as defined in the claims.

The ends of the. receptacle-A may be made inclined or provided withinclined surfaces, so that the cards instead of being perpendicular willbe arranged in an inclined position. y

l claim as my invention j 1. A selective card index device comprising areceptacle, card-lifting men'ibers movably mounted in said receptacle,and movable selecting members adapted for insertion at different pointsin the width of the receptacle so as to engage the cards at differ-- entpoints.

2. A selective card index device comprising a receptacle, cards adaptedto be contained in said receptacle and provided at their bottom edgeswith projections placed differently to correspond to a classificationplan, movable lifting members for raising the said cards, and selectingmembers adapted for insertion at different points corresponding to thepositions of. the said projections on the cards, to keep certain cardsraised when the others are lowered.

3. A selective card index device comprising a receptacle adapted tocontain index cards, lifting members movably mounted at the bottom ofsaid receptacle, and a movable selecting member adapted for insertionbetween said lifting members.

4. A selective card index device comprising a receptacle for indexcards, lifting bars pivoted at the bottom el said receptacle, andselecting members adapted for'insertion at various points betweensaid'lifting members.

5. A selective card index device comprising a receptacle adapted to`contain cards, lifting members for raising the cards, and sclecting barsadapted to be slid lengthwise of the receptacle and under the cards atdifferent points.

6. A selective card index device comprising a receptaclehavinglongitudinal guides at its bottom, lifting members adjacent to itscorners, movable selecting bars adapted to be inserted in the saidguides, and a set of cards provided at their bottom edges withdifferently placed projections in positions corres ending to those ofsaid selecting bars.

7 selective card index device comprising a receptacle for index cards,provided with inclined upwardly diverging side walls, and yselectingmembers for'engaging the bottom edges of the cards at different pointsof their wldth and causing certain cards to project above the others 8.A selective card index device comprising a receptacle for index cards,provided with inclined upwardly diverging side walls, selecting membersfor engaging the bottom edges of the cards at different points of theirwidth, and index cards provided at their bottom edges with differentlyplaced. projections in positions corresponding to those which may beassumed by the said selecting ineinbers..

9. A selective card index device lcomprising a receptacle7 card-liftingmembers movably mounted in said receptacle, and a movableselectingmember adapted for insertion at diil'erent points in the width of thereceptaele so as to engage the cards at different points.

10.l A selective card index device con'iprising a receptacle, cardsadapted to be contained in said receptacle and provided at their bottomedges with projections placed diil'erently to correspond toaclassiiicatii'in plan, movable lifting members for raising the saidcards, and a selecting member adapted for insertion at different pointscorresponding to the positions of the said projections on the cards, tokeep certain cards raised when the others are lowered. 4

11. A selective card index device comprising a receptacle for indexcards, lifting bars pivoted at the bottom of said receptacle, and

a selecting member adapted lorinsertion at various poi'ntsbetween saidlifting bars.

12. A selective card index device comprising a receptacle adapted tocontain cards, lifting members -ffor raising the cards, and a selectingbar adapted to be slid lengthwise of the receptacle and under the cardsat different points.

13. A selective card index device compristheir width and causing certaincards to project above tlie others.

15'. A selective card index device comprising a receptacle lor indexcards, provided with inclined upwardly diverging side walls,

a selecting member for engaging the bottom edges of the cards atdil'erent points of their width, and index cards provided at theirbottom edges with differently placed projections in positionscorresponding to those which may be assumed by the said selectinginember. A

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name hereto in the presence oftwo subscribing Witnesses.

EDMUND ECKART. Witnesses;

JoiiN RAABE, MINNiE EULHARDT.

